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Casanova, Giovanni Giacomo (1725-98)
An adventurer, churchman,
musician,
soldier, spy, diplomat, and writer who was the center of scandals, usually
involving women. Today any man who is an adventurous, uncontrolled, and irresponsible
lover may be called by others a Casanova.
Casanova was born in
Venice, Italy, probably on April 5, 1725. Expelled from school for scandalous conduct, he
went to Rome in the service of a cardinal.
From then on he was almost continually on the move over the whole of Europe until he
finally settled in 1785 at the chateau of Dux in Bohemia. There he served as librarian
until his death on June 4, 1798.
In 1745 Casanova was a
violinist at the San Samuele Theater in Venice. In 1750 he was in Lyon, France, and two
years later in Paris. From there he went to Dresden, Prague, and Vienna before returning
to Venice in 1755. Denounced as a magician, he was sentenced to prison. But he escaped and
made his way to Paris, where he introduced the lottery, became known for his knowledge of
financial matters, and enjoyed high society. Further travels took Casanova to the
Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and southern France and to the cities of Rome, London,
Berlin, Riga, St. Petersburg, and Warsaw. Another scandal, followed by a duel, caused him
to flee to Spain. From 1774 to 1782 he was back in Venice as a spy for the state
inquisitors — government officials who investigated persons suspected of revolting
against religious authority.
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During his adventurous
life Casanova managed to do a good deal of writing, including librettos for a number of
operas. He published 'History of the Government of Venice' in 1769 and a
translation of Homer's 'Iliad', the great Greek
classic, in 1775. He also produced one of the earliest science fiction works,
'Icosameron'. Published in five volumes in 1788, the story is about an imaginary
voyage by two young people to a place in the center of the Earth. But most of his literary
fame rests upon the notorious autobiography, 'The Story of My Life'.
This work was not published during Casanova's lifetime. An uncut, six-volume
edition was published in Germany in the early 1960s. An English translation in
12 volumes came out in 1966-71. All earlier publications of the autobiography
had been somewhat censored.
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Sources: Article is scheduled to be reviewed.
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